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· 3 min read
Do you know what the germiest place in your house is? For today’s time-pressed consumer, concerns about the home have — more than ever — become top of mind. We want to ensure that our houses are healthy and clean so they can be safe places for work, play, rejuvenation and sanctuary.
Indeed, during these pandemic times, Americans are getting savvier about cleaning and sanitation in their homes.
We checked with resident cleaning guru Lisa Yakas, Senior Account Manager for EPA’s Safer Choice cleaning products and our home product certification. Yakas was recently a panelist at Good Housekeeping’s Discover Cleaning 2022: The Clean, Healthy & Happy Home Summit, a virtual event held in partnership with the American Cleaning Institute. The October event was designed to address the cleaning concerns of today’s consumers and highlight the latest advancements in the world of cleaning. The panel probed the issues consumers face around cleaning and killing germs in the kitchen and bathroom and discussed why it’s important, what hot spots people are missing, the challenges of keeping these spaces clean, and the best products to use and how to use them properly.
We also polled consumers on social media to find out if they knew what the germiest places in their homes were. Find out what more than 1,200 consumers think are the germiest spots and what our expert Yakas says you can do about them:
Yakas stresses why it’s so important to kill germs in the kitchen and bathroom: because they can make you sick.
“The kitchen and bathrooms are the germiest places in the home,” says Yakas. If not cleaned properly, they can make you ill through contact with germs and bacteria. She also says sanitizing and disinfecting are key musts. But what’s the difference between them?
The Safer Choice label is a voluntary partnership with the U.S. EPA that helps consumers and commercial purchasers find products that contain safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing performance. NSF is the largest third-party reviewer of all-purpose cleaners, window cleaners, tub/tile cleaners, laundry detergents, floor care products, pet care products and car care products.
Stay up to date with what matters most to you and your family.


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Panasonic Bets on NFC, Rather than Smart OS, on Latest Lumix GF6 Camera
Panasonic had unveiled its latest micro four thirds Lumix GF6 camera with WiFi and NFC, the latter wireless sharing standard is still a rarity on camera systems. The inclusion of NFC is both nice and surprising. Instead of choosing to go with a smart mobile operating system, like the adoption of Google’s Android OS that taken by rivals Samsung, Polaroid, and Nikon recently, Pansonic chose to go with the NFC route to allow sharing of captured images via a compatible smartphone.
With the Lumix GH6 camera, users can share their images to a compatible NFC-equipped smartphone and then from the phone, upload and share the images to their favorite online cloud storage service or to social media networks. NFC is used on the GH6, from early previews we’ve read, to allow users to quickly create a direct WiFi connection between the smartphone and the camera for sharing.
This move isn’t only smart as it allows Panasonic to just fine tune the menus on its current camera lineup, rather than investing in adopting Android and creating camera controls for the Android-powered smart camera. Additionally, it allows Panasonic to work within familiar constraints and parameters of its current camera UI and OS and not have to learn about the limitations of working and developing a camera with Android at the core, especially for a complex interchangeable lens (ILC) camera system where there are always firmware updates for the camera body and separate updates for the lens.
Additionally, taken from the more rugged and professional Lumix GH3 camera system, Panasonic also added WiFi to the more compact Lumix GF6 system. The WiFi module allows users to compose and capture images using the smartphone display, and also allows images to quickly be transferred to the phone or tablet, similar to how an EyeFi or FlashAir cards work.
As camera-makers are debating adoption of a smart operating system for their cameras to give users the value of photo editing tools, social media and email apps, and up-to-date firmware that a modern consumer operating system affords, Panasonic’s route may be the most practical as it allows many of these functionality through the use of a smartphone and the NFC chips.
The mirrorless GH6 camera has a 15-megapixel micro four third sensor that works with compatible lenses made by Panasonic or Olympus. As the camera doesn’t have body stabilization, Panasonic users are advised to choose Panasonic lenses, which have optical image stabilization, should they require the feature; Olympus adopts in-body image stabilization so Olympus lenses do not need to be stabilized through optical image stabilization. The camera also has a 1040k tilting display on the rear and adds the mode dial to the top.

domain: news


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The Prince of Wales will open the new headquarters of a civil engineering firm on a visit to Aberdeenshire.
Family-run company WM Donald is one of the largest firms of its kind in the north-east of Scotland and began trading more than 40 years ago.
It now employs more than 130 staff and is opening a new head office at Marrlaine, near Stonehaven.
Charles will officially open the new building on Wednesday.
Later, he will be joined by his wife Camilla to visit businesses in Stonehaven town centre.
The couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, are expected to visit Charles McHardy Butchers, Giulianotti Ice Cream and Vintage Sweet Shop and Graingers Deli.
The butcher’s dates back to 1907 while the ice cream shop was founded in 1899.


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Digital payments platform, PhonePe, said it has crossed 100 million users on its app as it hit an annualized total payments volume (TPV) run rate of $20 billion.
An annual run rate is calculated based on the current month’s volume of payments that PhonePe has processed. The Bangalore-based company’s rival, Paytm said it had processed annualized transaction worth $29 billion through its platform.
PhonePe and Paytm have been involved in a neck-to-neck battle in India’s digital payments sector.
PhonPe claimed it had 30 million total customers — who made 60 million transactions as of April — using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its app. The Flipkart-owned PhonPe works with Yes Bank for processing UPA Payments.
Flipkart had pumped in $500 million for PhonPe after it acquired the payments platform in 2016.
“We have gone from launch to 100 million users in just 21 months. Our next goal is to onboard a million merchants for our customers, and enable value-added services,” said Sameer Nigam, Founder & CEO of PhonPe.
The digital payments sector in India is changing rapidly as global players like Facebook and Google entering the market.


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Despite tough trade winds, both Visa and Mastercard have been able to post good quarterly results.
Shares of Mastercard rose after it posted Q1 earnings that exceeded expectations. Adjusted earnings per share totalled $1.83 in the quarter, up from $1.78 a year earlier and above analysts’ average forecast of $1.72, according to FactSet.
Revenue registered $4 billion in the latest quarter, up 3% from $3.9 billion a year earlier and above analysts’ prediction of $3.96 billion. GAAP net income totaled $1.7 billion in the latest quarter, or $1.68 a share, down from $1.9 billion, or $1.80, a year earlier.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has crimped global spending, didn’t help matters. “Covid-19 has made this a very trying time for everyone,” comments Ajay Banga, Chief Executive, Mastercard. “Although there will be twists in the road, we have seen early signs of spending levels stabilising and are confident that we will emerge from this even stronger.”
Similarly, Visa came out with quarterly earnings of $1.39 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.35 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.31 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
Visa reported a 4% rise in Q2 profit and pulled its full-year outlook, as the company reels from the hit to consumer spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the second quarter, the company’s total payments volume rose 5% to $2.14 trillion, on a constant dollar basis, with its largest market United States representing 46% of the total volume.
Net income rose 4% to $3.08 billion in the second quarter ended March 31 from $2.98 billion a year earlier. Net revenue rose 7% to $5.85 billion, beating analysts’ estimates of $5.75 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 2.96%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this global payments processor would post earnings of $1.46 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.46, delivering no surprise.
Over the previous four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
The post Visa and Mastercard hit quarterly revenue estimates despite COVID-19 appeared first on Payments Cards & Mobile.


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If you’re like one of my college roommates, who would probably eat tar if it was labeled “low-carb,” you might want to think again before you grab a product based on what it says on the box.
Today, as the Washington Post reported, the Food and Drug Administration sent letters to 17 food producers because the companies were touting health benefits on their products that were misleading, contrary to FDA guidelines, or simply not true.
The FDA gave companies 15 days to come up with a plan to correct the labels or face possible consequences, such as suspension of their product.
Some products on the list include:
- Diamond Food, Inc.’s Diamond of California Shelled Walnuts, whose label claims the Omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts can fight mental illnesses, lower cholesterol and protect against some heart diseases and cancers; and Pom Inc.'s POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, which claims to lower hypertension and reduce or prevent certain kinds of cancers and diseases. The FDA says such health claims are reserved for drugs.
- Nestle's Juicy Juice Brain Development Fruit Juice Beverage (Apple), which claims it "helps support brain development in children under two years old”—another statement the FDA says only drug companies can make.
- Nestle’s Juicy Juice All-Natural 100% Juice Orange Tangerine, and Juicy Juice All-Natural 100% Juice Grape, whose labels imply the products are 100% real juice, the FDA says, when neither pure orange tangerine nor pure grape juice are the products’ main ingredients.
- Ken’s Foods Inc. for their “Healthy Options” salad dressings, which the FDA says must be “low fat” (3 grams of fat for 50 grams of food) in order to have a “healthy” label. The Healthy Options Parmesan & Peppercorn dressing, which has 6 g of fat per 30 grams of food; the Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette, which has 4 grams of fat per 30 grams of food; and the Raspberry Walnut Dressing, which contains 3 grams of fat per 30 g of food, all violate this rule.
- Gorton’s Fish Fillets and Mrs. Smith’s Coconut Custard pie are both labeled as “0 trans fat” but do not disclose that there are high amounts of regular and saturated fat, as the FDA requires.
Some companies have plans to change the labels, but POM Inc. plans to challenge the FDA, according to the Post.
The recent campaign is one of the largest by the FDA in at least a decade, according to the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI), though last May the FDA also targeted General Mills for its labeling of Cheerios, which were claimed to lower cholesterol and heart disease.
Just a few months before the FDA's campaign, CSPI released its own report on food labeling and sent it to the FDA. The report targeted health claims, which were the focus of the new FDA campaign, but CSPI has also asked the FDA to increase its requirements for food labeling (pdf). This would include adding the label "high" and highlighting in red ink certain ingredients—added sugars, trans fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium—if they accounted for 20 percent or more of the recommended daily allowance. The CSPI also urged the FDA to require companies to disclose what percentage of a products' grains are whole grains and how much caffeine is in the product, as well as other changes that they claim would make food labels easier to read (and understand).
There are probably plenty more food makers out there who aren’t being completely honest about their products. Until the FDA can get all of them to clean up their labeling, I think I’ll follow advice my great-grandmother once gave me (about food and life) when grocery shopping: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.


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WillowWood Global LLC, a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of prosthetic products, announces it has acquired MAKstride Prosthetics. The transaction represents WillowWood’s first strategic acquisition since partnering with growth-oriented private equity firm Blue Sea Capital LLC in December 2021.
Based in Mesa, Arizona, MAKstride develops, designs, and manufactures prosthetic devices and componentry, including prosthetic feet, foot shells, and high-precision machined components. Founded in 2006, MAKstride is noteworthy among prosthetic partners for its exceptional R&D function, precision machining capabilities, and manufacturing expertise across diverse metals, fiberglass, carbon fiber and plastics.
“The MAKstride acquisition marks the culmination of a multi-year, collaborative partnership with Monty and his team to co-develop cutting-edge innovation for the prosthetics industry, including the recent launch of our groundbreaking META Shock X product within the broader META foot platform,” said Daniel Rubin, COO of WillowWood. “We are excited and fortunate to have them as part of the WillowWood family.”
Said Dr. Monty Moshier, Founder and CEO of MAKstride, “As an aeronautical engineer and the son of a lower limb amputee, I founded MAKstride 16 years ago to apply my engineering expertise to my passion for prosthetics. Since then, we have grown to become a world-class prosthetics partner serving amputees globally. We intentionally selected WillowWood as our preferred partner and, after many years of collaborative innovation, look forward to joining the organization.”
As a critical member of WillowWood’s leadership, Dr. Moshier will continue to lead MAKstride as Managing Director and will serve as a research fellow for WillowWood’s R&D efforts, including several upcoming META product launches.
Added Erin Lansky, Principal at Blue Sea, “We partnered with WillowWood’s management to strategically transform the prosthetics industry, and the MAKstride acquisition represents an exciting start toward accomplishing that vision. The deal underscores our excitement to acquire or partner with other prosthetic device manufacturers and their talented leaders who share our core value of securing great patient outcomes.”
[Source(s): WillowWood Global, PR Newswire]


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Labels & Packaging
Commuters at London's busy Euston station will be transported to the tropical beaches and historic tourist destinations of Brazil, thanks to a 4-week display campaign from the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur) that combines digital with printed display.
Booked with JCDecaux through IPM and Initiative Media, Embratur has wrapped the Euston Tunnel as part of a marketing drive to raise the country’s profile as an exciting holiday destination. The creative agency was Artplan, based in Brazil.
The campaign will provide a fully-immersive brand experience covering 200 m² of tunnel linking the station concourse to the Underground, reaching a monthly audience of 530,000 people.
Panoramic images of the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, golden sands of Ipanema and the dramatic Iguassu waterfalls are accompanied by 5 x digital 6-sheets and 20 x escalator panels. Embratur has also booked the back-light 48-sheet that greets passengers taking the escalator to the tube.
Flávio Dino, Embratur’s president says: “As the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paraolympic Games, Brazil will be the holiday of choice for increasing numbers of visitors. We increase our chances to attract more international tourists promoting the wealth of opportunity offered by Brazil.”
With the strapline ‘Brazil is calling you’, the campaign directs people to the website www.braziltour.com.
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We'd love to get to know you and learn more about your business!
Got any news or PR? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Dating online personals speed
Daters would meet in a public location sponsored by People would be involved in social activities and a form of speed dating together. Shortly afterwards, IAC fired Tim Sullivan as acting CEO, and laid off 30 people in the Dallas office involved with the Match Live brand.Fran Maier joined in late 1994 to lead the business unit where she significantly bolstered the strategy to make friendly and accessible to women (the men would then follow).
also introduced a proprietary collection of on-site, dual-player games designed to allow people to get to know each other online in a natural way.
It was announced in February 2009 that Match.com's European operations was sold to Meetic for 5 million Euros and a reported twenty-seven percent interest in the company.
At the same time that this sale was announced, the current CEO Thomas Enraght-Mooney stepped down, while IAC's (Match.com's parent company) Executive VP and General Counsel, Greg Blatt, took his place.
This page is an attempt by me to organize the vast majority of online dating related statistics and facts available on the Internet.
Almost every week there seems to be a new report or study produced that tries to top the last one.


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Its unlikely to come as a surprise that the Plant-Based food market is continuing to grow, but it might be news that the industry's net worth has seen a boost even during the global pandemic. Nielsen data shows that plant-based meat and milk sales have skyrocketed and have outpaced conventional meat and milk sales amid COVID-19 shutdowns. In the US for example, dollar sales of plant-based meat grew 454% in the week ending March 21, while fresh meat sales grew 100%. For the week ending March 28, plant-based meat grew 255%, while fresh meat sales grew 53%.
In FMCG news, corporate giant, Nestle has entered the 'plant based seafood' (yes, that's a thing) market now, with the brand producing its own vegan tuna alternative. “Sustainably produced plant-based seafood alternatives can help to reduce overfishing and to protect the biodiversity of our oceans,” said Nestle’s chief technology officer Stefan Palzer. “Our plant-based tuna alternative is delicious, nutritious and high in protein.”
Whilst the product is exclusive to Switzerland currently, Nestle are continuing to invest and produce more plant based alternatives. Here in Australia, we saw that Nestle's brand, Milo, released its first vegan-friendly version of the nations much loved choccy drink, further showcasing the demand for such products right here in our own backyard.
But wait, there's more. Australian owned brand, Fenn Foods were able to get their vegan beef onto the Hungry Jack's menu. With their 'Veef' patty of choice for the Rebel Whopper, their plant based offering of the chains popular Whopper burger. Fenn foods stated that the interest in plant based diets is growing, with CSIRO estimating the industry in Australia alone to be worth more than $6 billion by 2030
However, some of the plant based alternatives we've seen seem to fit more in the category of weird and wonderful. With an Israeli business being the first to develop plant based 3D printed food, launching their 3D printed steak. Their CEO calls it “the best way to fight climate change, to deliver healthier solutions and food to the entire population of the planet.”


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Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has assured the European Union (EU) of the preparedness of member states of the West African sub-regional economic bloc to ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) this year.
He was hopeful that all memberstates of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would ratify the pact in time to deepen trade relations between them and their European counterparts. Mahama, who is also chair of ECOWAS, said this in a keynote address when he officially launched the Ghana chapter of the European Business Organization (EBO).
The ECOWAS member-states are preparing to kick-start a Common External Tariff (CET) regime as one of the conditions to ensure the success of the EPAs. Mahama said he also looked forward to the 6.5 billion euro support for the sub-region and the development of its export capacity while opening 70 percent of the sub-regional market to European goods.
“EU has remained Ghana’s largest multilateral trading partner. Almost half of all our development assistance is financed by the European Union.
“This three-year program will see Ghana emerge in 2017 as perhaps the most competitive economy in the subregion,” Mahama said.
Trading with the EU alone constitutes 46 percent of Ghana’s total export, while the European businesses are the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment to Ghana, with 6.6 billion Euros investments in the last 20 years. The EU also provided 440 million U.S. dollars to Ghana in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013.


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This year has proved to be a challenging one for any economic sector, the numbers are not that good, and we face different kinds of losses. But our adaptation skills are impressive, and we have hope for a better future, so 2021 looks promising even when this year was a tough one. Advertising 2021 will depend entirely on 2020’s behavior, but even with all these challenges, the numbers are pretty good, keep reading to find out!
Advertising 2021: what should we expect?
GroupM published last June their «This Year, Next Year: Global Mid-year Forecast Report,» where they tell us all about how advertising is going this year and what we should expect for 2021. According to the group, Advertising in 2021 will grow around 8.9%, even when there is a decline during 2020. But overall, the numbers are quite interesting, proving that advertising is a solid area. Check out the five major points of the report!
1.- Digital Advertising
After a decade of continuous growth, digital advertising is facing a decline this year, which is expected thanks to the coronavirus. By 2021 the growth will resume, however, with lower numbers than the past decade. But this decline and newer growth don’t indicate losses; digital advertising is still an area that will present major revenues around the world this year or next.
2.- Television Advertising
This is the dominant advertising, especially for the largest brands around the world. But after all it happened with the virus and the pandemic, this year is showing a big decline, that will grow 5.9% next year. What is interesting is that streaming services are showing growth this year that will only increase during 2021.
3.- Outdoor Advertising
This has taken a big fall during this year because of the social distancing restrictions. Many outdoor activities such as cinemas, festivals, and concerts have been canceled or postponed until further notice. So the decline is around 25% during this year, with expectations of 14.9% growth for 2021, the growth will continue, but predictions are about that it will never be the same.
4.- Print Media
Newspapers and magazines are the major players in print media, showing a decline of around 25%. Even when it looks bad, it will account for $40 billion in advertising only this year. However, a full recovery can happen only when the economy around the world could be more stable. Print media has a big problem if there is disinvestment in the content; an absence of advertiser support will lead to disengaged consumers and then advertisers. There are exceptions, but this will depend on a strong investment in content and solutions in marketing.
5.- Audio Media
This faces the same challenges as outdoor activities. Many radio stations took their peak listeners in the middle of rush hours. Still, social distancing and quarantine restrictions are messing with the listeners. Even when audio media is often under-appreciated, it will face a decline of 23% during this year with $25 billion. However, next year can show growth, but marketers’ major appeal will be the digital aspect from streaming services, and surprise podcasts can change the game.
Advertising 2021 looks promising with growing numbers and an adaptation to a new normalcy. It will be a year to learn from the challenges faced during 2020, with big hopes for a promising future. Keep in touch with 786 Magazine through our social media!
Facebook: 786 Marketing


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The Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong is appealing to regulators to consider the impact of incoming laws on the city’s digital innovation agenda. In November, Hong Kong’s government announced plans to ban retail cryptocurrency trading as part of a broader money laundering crackdown.
According to the South China Morning Post on Dec. 24, the proposed crypto regulations could also extend to Bitcoin automated teller machines.
In a consultation paper published in November, the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau revealed that it also had plans to regulate Bitcoin ATMs. Data from CoinAtmRadar shows Hong Kong is home to 62 Bitcoin ATMs.
Speaking to SCMP, Leo Weese, co-founder of the association, argued against the proposed crypto regulations, stating:
“To restrict retail individuals from accessing Bitcoin would be overshooting the government’s goals of promoting innovation, and financial inclusion.”
If passed, the new regulatory regime would significantly expand the city’s crypto licensing architecture. Currently, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission only mandates registration for exchanges that list crypto securities or futures products.
Earlier in December, Fidelity-backed digital assets platform OSL was officially licensed by the Hong Kong SFC. The news finalized the SFC’s previous announcement in August agreeing in principle at the time to issue OSL a license pending a vetting process.
The proposed laws also echo some of the stricter mandates in place in mainland China where crypto trading is prohibited. Hong Kong is home to several major crypto trading services including Bitfinex and FTX, with others like OKEx and Huobi maintaining regional offices in the territory.


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New York-based fintech provider Tassat is partnering with digital asset market maker Blockfills to launch an institutional Trade at Settlement (TAS) product for spot Bitcoin (XBT/USD).
According to a Nov. 18 report by Hedgeweek, Blockfills — which specializes in digital asset electronic market making, trading and prime brokerage — will join forces with Tassat, formerly known as trueDigital to launch the product by mid-December.
New products for crypto traders to hedge risk
TAS is a specific type of electronic order book that enables buyers and sellers to trade at — or close to — a settlement price established during a discrete fixing period.
Widely used in derivatives markets for a range of underlying assets, the model is designed to reduce uncertainty and to eradicate slippage in execution by establishing a determined price for participants to trade around.
TAS developers argue that by contrast, retail spot exchanges are beset with risks and uncertainty associated with price volatility, abrupt price movements and significantly wider spreads.
For the Bitcoin (XBT/USD) TAS product, Tassat’s Bitcoin (BTC) reference rates — constructed from aggregated institutional-size quotes from over ten global over-the-counter digital asset market makers — will underpin the settlement price at each window.
Blockfills’ trading platform infrastructure will be used to manage order flow, matching, execution and settlement of trades.
Tassat’s director of sales Josh Gibson outlined that:
“TAS provides a way to offset the risk of price movements on their futures positions and/or rebalance the gamma on option positions with no risk of excessive slippage. With the growth of digital asset derivatives, participants of all kinds will need new and efficient ways to hedge their positions.”
Steps towards full CFTC oversight
The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved the transfer of existing registration rights from affiliated financial services firm that pave the way to allowing Tassat to operate an exchange listing futures or options contracts with the agency’s oversight.
In March, Tassat — when it was still known as trueDigital — partnered with crypto data firm Kaiko and digital assets analytics company Inca Digital Securities to widen the distribution of its over-the-counter reference rates for Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH), the latter of which it created in partnership with ConsenSys.


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Seattle Police's hacker leaves the force
The whitehat hacker who developed auto-blurring technology for dash-and-body camera footage has left the Seattle Police Department citing political issues as his reasoning.
Amazon's grocery service now requires a $299 yearly membership
AmazonFresh now requires a pricey subscription before you can even use it, at least in Seattle.
Amazon Prime Now includes delivery from local restaurants in Seattle
Prime Now customers in Amazon's home city are now privy to restaurant delivery.
Amazon's one-hour delivery service arrives in Seattle (updated)
Amazon's one-hour Prime Now delivery service is finally available in Seattle, the company's home turf.
Amazon's latest service test has you picking up orders
Forget waiting for the courier to drop off your Amazon order -- the company is testing a service where you'd pick up packages yourself.
Drone knocks woman unconscious at Seattle pride parade
A bungling pilot has just reminded us (again) why drones need at least some kind of regulation. Du...
Seattle PD pushes for transparency by hiring a coder/critic
Remember Tim Clemans, the formerly anonymous programmer who requested basically all of the Seattle...
Amazon Destinations handpicks hotels in LA, NY and Seattle
Amazon's rumored new travel site has appeared and it's well, exactly as rumored. While the company...
Microsoft technology gives Seattle 5,000 times faster public WiFi
Techie culture-vultures aren't likely to encounter Vine upload fails anymore at Seattle's home to...


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Canada’s new system of certifying and identifying organic products comes into effect June 30, 2009. According to the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website, “When the Organic Products Regulations come into full force on June 30, 2009, voluntary use of the “Biologique Canada Organic” designation and logo will be permitted on the labelling of those food products certified as meeting the National Organic Standards (Canadian Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards CAN/CGSB 32.310 and Permitted Substances Lists CAN/CGSB 32.311).”
After June 30, 2009, consumers should see this logo (above) on various organic products. Obviously, this new system will take a while to be on all packaging, so we’ve included an excerpt from Ecoholic on what the Canadian system looks like now.
Excerpt from Ecoholic
“There are dozens of certifiers in Canada, so until the fed’s new Canada Organic regulation and label are fully phased in you might find a confusing number of logos on grocery shelves certifying to slightly different standards. (Quebec and BC are the only provinces that already had their own mandatory systems in place.)”
“In general, to qualify for organic certification, farms have to be pesticide-free for three years and must avoid synthetic inputs such as pesticides and antibiotics, as well as the deliberate use of GMO’s [Genetically Modified Organisms], while stressing soil-building. Certifiers also tend to have basic stipulations about animal welfare (no caged chickens or rabbits, for instance), although European programs are better than those in Canada and the US on this front.”


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Chile not happy about happy meal toys
Aug 1, 2012 / 10:03 pm
A new law in Chile aims to take some of the fun out of fast-food by forcing McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and other restaurants to stop including toys and other goodies with children's meals.
The companies are still using toys to draw in Chile's increasingly chubby children more than a month after the ban took effect on June 7, Sen. Giudo Girardi said as he filed a formal complaint Wednesday with the health ministry.
"These businesses know that this food damages the health of children and they know that the law is in effect. They're using fraudulent and abusive means," Girardi said.
The complaint also targets makers of cereal, popsicles and other products that attract children with toys, crayons or stickers, as well as markets that sell the food.
If Chile's health ministry upholds his allegations, the companies could be forced to remove the goodies or face nominal fines.
The Associated Press left messages seeking reaction with spokesmen for McDonald's Corp., Burger King Worldwide Inc. and KFC's owner, Yum Brands Inc.
Girardi said he wrote the law because nearly a quarter of Chile's 6-year-olds now suffer from childhood obesity â€” and that its passage came despite seven years of industry lobbying.
"These corporations threatened that if the law was approved there would be no more money for children's foundations, the sick, or athletes, but we were finally able to create a great alliance between the civil society and scientists to defeat these lobbyists," the senator said.
McDonald's Happy Meals, marketed as "Cajitas Felices" in Spanish â€” have been a major draw for 4-year-old Florencia Moraga, who was playing with her Ice Age movie toys Wednesday night with her father Ricardo at a restaurant in downtown Santiago.
"I loooove McDonald's because of the toys in the Happy Meal!" Florencia said.
Moraga said he takes his daughter every two weeks to the fast-food chain, but would not come back if she becomes overweight.
"She's healthy, skinny, but a kid with obesity was just sitting next to us. If I were his father I wouldn't bring him here," he said.
The Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest sued McDonalds over using toys to market its food to children in 2010, but the claim was dismissed in April. San Francisco banned restaurants last year from providing toys along with meals high in fat, salt, and sugar, but McDonalds has continued providing toys there by charging consumers a small fee for the goodies. A similar measure was defeated in New York.
The experience of both U.S. cities helped Girardi craft his "junk food law," his spokeswoman, Carol Bortnick, said.
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Since Marissa Mayer became CEO, Yahoo has been on a bit of a roll and has released several well-reviewed apps (Weather, News Digest, Sports, etc.) while also bringing Flickr back from irrelevance. According to MIT Technology Review, Yahoo has even bigger plans with its recent announcement that it is investing millions of dollars to develop a smarter Siri. More →
Yahoo on Thursday announced yet another hacking attempt, advising Yahoo Mail users to change their passwords if prompted to do so. “Security attacks are unfortunately becoming a more regular occurrence, Yahoo wrote on its official Tumblr blog. Recently, we identified a coordinated effort to gain unauthorized access to Yahoo Mail accounts. Upon discovery, we took immediate action to protect our users, prompting them to reset passwords on impacted accounts.” More →
The malware attack that took advantage of Yahoo’s Java-based ad network around Christmas Eve was far greater than anticipated, the company confirmed in a post (via CNET) on its help web pages. Initially believed to have affected only European users on January 3, 2014, the malware ad attacks were then said to have occurred during December 31, 2013 – January 3, 2014. But Yahoo on Friday revealed the attack actually took place between December 27, 2013 – January 3, 2014, and affected users outside of the European Union as well. More →
A few days before CES 2014, security researchers discovered that Yahoo was unknowingly distributing malware via the ads displayed on its home page, with as many as 2 million European users at risk of having been infected in the four days hackers exploited holes in the company’s Java-based ad network. Some of the affected computers were transformed into improvised Bitcoin miners to gather the cryptocurrency for the hackers responsible. Yahoo was not very forthcoming about the issue, and it only offered limited details about the attack, without specifying how many users were infected or helping any of them deal with the matter, The Guardian reports. More →
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer on Friday posted an apology on Yahoo’s official Tumblr blog for the extended Yahoo Mail issues that affected many users for several days last week starting with December 9. In a lengthy message, Mayer said that the company experienced a “major outage” last week, without providing actual details about the hardware outage that crippled the Yahoo Mail experience for users – the issue was described as a “particularly rare one,” with various users being affected differently. More →
Yahoo on Wednesday finally fully acknowledged on Twitter and on the service’s personal blog that its Yahoo Mail service is experiencing issues which some of its customers had to face for more than two weeks, ZDNet reports. According to the company, an unknown number of users were not able to send and receive emails since November 25. Similar problems for other Yahoo Mail customers started on Monday, although the company only briefly mentioned these issues via Twitter a day later. “We know some of our users are unable to use Yahoo Mail,” the Yahoo Mail team wrote on December 10. “We’re on it and trying to restore access in a few hours. Sorry for the inconvenience.” More →
Bing may not be making any money for Microsoft but it seems to be doing wonders for Yahoo. Bloomberg reports that Microsoft’s payouts to Yahoo in exchange for using Bing as its search engine accounted for 31% of its revenue last quarter, a surprisingly high number given that Yahoo before would only say that the Bing payouts accounted for more than 10% of its revenue. The 31% of revenue figure is also surprising because of a report we read in The Wall Street Journal earlier this year that claimed Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was itching to back out of the Bing deal because “Yahoo’s revenue per search has been worse under the Microsoft deal than when it operated its own Web-search technology and advertising system.”
In addition to Yahoo Mail, Yahoo will add extra layers of personal data protection to all its services in the coming months in an effort to safeguard the privacy of its customers, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced in a blog post. Mayer reminded users that Yahoo Mail will get HTTPS (SSL – Secure Sockets Layer) encryption with a 2048-bit key by January 8th, 2014 and revealed that all other Yahoo services will get the same treatment by the end of March 2014. More →
Yahoo has been acquiring companies left and right since former Google executive Marissa Mayer became the company’s chief executive. Mayer has emphasized the importance of mobile, noting that it is the company’s future and focus. And it seems that Yahoo’s latest purchase will help the company further compete with Google and Apple, as the company announced on Wednesday that it has acquired mobile advertising startup Admovate. More →
When Marissa Mayer took over as CEO of Yahoo last year there was some hope that she would bring more focus to a company that had long been adrift and without clear goals. Wired’s Ryan Tate, however, notices that Yahoo under her reign has actually become “more bloated” by paying $1.1 billion for blogging service Tumblr and $30 million for news digest app Summly. What’s more, the company has put itself in the mix to buy a stake in Hulu by reportedly bidding between $600 million and $800 million, so it doesn’t seem as though the company exactly has a laser-like focus on one particular area these days. More →
So how much will it take for Yahoo to buy itself a stake in Hulu? According to a new report from AllThingsD, at least $600 million. Citing “numerous sources close to the situation,” AllThingsD reports that Yahoo is bidding between $600 million and $800 million for Hulu, a range that reflects the fact that Yahoo “has proposed several different prices based on a variety of circumstances” including “the length of the licensing rights for content and how much control the programming companies selling Hulu have over their media.” More →
Yahoo is apparently determined to show that it can do more than pay $1.1 billion for a bunch of teenage girls’ blogs. Unnamed sources tell Bloomberg that Yahoo has submitted an offer to buy video streaming website Hulu, a sign that the company is still considering ways to counter the enormous video streaming clout that Google now holds with YouTube. Yahoo was interested in buying a majority stake in French video streaming website Dailymotion earlier this year but that deal fell apart after the French government reportedly threatened to block it. In making an official bid for Hulu, Yahoo will be competing with Time Warner Cable, which is considering buying a 33% equity stake in the company. It’s unknown at this point whether Yahoo’s bid for Hulu will just be for a similar shared stake or if it plans to be more aggressive and buy a majority stake in the firm.
Yahoo turned some heads this week when it announced that it was paying $1.1 billion to buy blogging platform Tumblr, but this isn’t the first time it has spent at least $1 billion to acquire another company. As NPR points out, Yahoo has bought several companies over the past 15 years that it has valued at $1 billion or higher, including most famously its $3.7 billion acquisition of GeoCities in 1999. Other failed Yahoo acquisitions include the $5.7 billion it paid for multimedia website Broadcast.com and the $1.63 billion it paid for search advertising pioneer Overture. In fact, all of these acquisitions make the $30 million that Yahoo paid for Flickr back in 2005 seem like a relative success story, since Flickr is still an operational service that the company is still pouring resources into. That said, when Flickr is seen as the best-case scenario for a Yahoo acquisition, it’s easy to see why Tumblr users are nervous.


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- Nokia Risk Intelligence Report warns of rising cyberattacks on internet-connected gadgets
- Report additionally highlights function of quite a few COVID-19-themed cybercriminal campaigns aimed toward exploiting person knowledge
Cyberattacks on internet-connected gadgets proceed to rise at an alarming price resulting from poor safety protections and cybercriminals use of automated instruments to use these vulnerabilities, in accordance with the newest Nokia Risk Intelligence Report.
The report discovered that Web-connected, or IoT, gadgets now make up roughly 33% of contaminated gadgets, up from about 16% in 2019. The report’s findings are primarily based on knowledge aggregated from monitoring community visitors on greater than 150 million gadgets globally the place Nokia’s NetGuard Endpoint Safety product is deployed.
Adoption of IoT gadgets, from sensible dwelling safety monitoring methods to drones and medical gadgets, is anticipated to proceed rising as shoppers and enterprises transfer to make the most of the excessive bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and basically new networking capabilities that 5G cellular networks allow, in accordance with the report.
The speed of success in infecting IoT gadgets depends upon the visibility of the gadgets to the web, in accordance with the report. In networks the place gadgets are routinely assigned public going through web IP addresses, a excessive an infection price is seen. In networks the place carrier-grade Community Deal with Translation is used, the an infection price is significantly lowered as a result of the weak gadgets will not be seen to community scanning.
The Risk Intelligence Report additionally reveals there isn’t any let up in cybercriminals utilizing the COVID-19 pandemic to attempt to steal private knowledge via a wide range of kinds of malware. One particularly is disguised as a “Coronavirus Map” software – mimicking the official and authoritative Coronavirus Map issued by Johns Hopkins College – to make the most of the general public’s demand for correct details about COVID-19 infections, deaths and transmissions.
However the bogus software is used to plant malware on victims’ computer systems to use private knowledge. “Cybercriminals are taking part in on folks’s fears and are seeing this example as a possibility to advertise their agendas,” the report says. The report urges the general public to put in functions solely from trusted app shops, like Google and Apple.
Bhaskar Gorti, Nokia Software program President and Chief Digital Officer, mentioned:
“The sweeping adjustments which can be happening within the 5G ecosystem, with much more 5G networks being deployed around the globe as we transfer to 2021, open ample alternatives for malicious actors to make the most of vulnerabilities in IoT gadgets. This report reinforces not solely the essential want for shoppers and enterprises to step up their very own cyber safety practices, however for IoT system producers to do the identical.”


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From the Wires Aug. 28, 2014 11:31 AM OTTAWA , Aug. 28, 2014 /CNW/ - Today, Skills Canada announced the names of the 31 young men and... ...http://in.sys-con.com/node/3164623
Cvs (NYSE:CVS) Intraday Stock Chart Today : Thursday 28 August 2014 WOONSOCKET, R.I. , Aug.28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --In recognition of the... ...http://in.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=63401937
Real Estate Scorecard is an industry leader of online real estate reviews, keeping buyers informed about what's happening at the most popular gated... ...http://www.bizwireexpress.com/showstoryPRWeb.php?storyid=281476
TIRUPATI: TTD EO MG Gopal on Wednesday launched the `300 advance booking darshan system at TBC 129 Tirumala along with Tirumala JEO KS Sreenivasa... ...http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/TTD-EO-Launches-Rs-300-Advance-Booking-System/2014/08/28/article2402426.ece
World class luxury airline Oman Air is today, [TBC], proud to announce a key partnership with globally renowned British car manufacturer Aston... ...http://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/oman-air-partners-aston-martin-exclusive-new-lagonda-test/
Taxila Business Consulting (TBC) is...


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The US West and East Coast ports saw a reduction in port congestion during January, as workers cleared a substantial backlog amid Covid-19 outbreaks, according to the supply chain visibility platform provider Project44.
Particularly, the number of ships waiting per day to berth at US ports, on average, fell from 14.1 ships in December to 7.4 in January, according to Project44 intelligence.
However, while there was some easement at US ports, including Los Angeles (POLA) and Long Beach (POLB), congestion shifted to Asian ports, which recorded an increase from 13 ships per day to 16.7 per day, on average, from December to January.
Among the Asian ports, Hong Kong recorded the biggest increase, from 13 ships per day in December to 16.7 per day in January, according to the company's data.
Regarding the European ports, they noted a month-to-month average decline from 6.5 ships per day in December to 5.6 ships per day in January.
"In January there were signs of improving conditions at some ports, however, we still have a ways to go before there is a return to normalcy," stated Josh Brazil, director of supply chain insights at project44.
The port congestion increase in Asia has been attributed to new Covid-19 outbreaks in the continent and specifically in China, as well as to pre-Lunar New Year planning by carriers.
According to a Maersk news update, despite Covid-19 cases, container loading and discharge operations have been working normally at the ports of Ningbo, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Dalian, and Guangzhou. The district-level lockdowns and mass testing led to warehouse closures and trucker shortages.
In Ningbo, for example, a cluster of Covid-19 cases in early January in the city’s Beilun district led to extensive trucker delays, as drivers had to undergo testing and quarantine before being allowed into Beilun’s three container terminals.
"The Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to impact port workers and other supply chain stakeholders, and this will continue to be a major contributor to delays," claimed Brazil.
While data indicates that there has been a marginal decrease in the ship berth time in Los Angeles, the average time that a ship spends at berth in the Californian port is 10 times more than it spends in Shanghai, indicating the huge gap in port productivity at the busiest port of the United States.
Available shipping capacity is at 82% of the 2021-level
Although there was a slight increase in available shipping capacity from December 2021 to January 2022, it was still at around 82% of January 2021’s level, according to Project44 data.
While this slight increase from December to January proved beneficial for shippers needing to replenish inventories ahead of the Lunar New Year on 1 February, the increase was not enough for retailers facing low inventory levels and strong demand.
Container Dwell Times
Project44 sees that a "cut and run" strategy is occurring, as carriers prioritise schedules over waiting to load export cargo.
With the exception of some major Chinese ports, almost all global ports tracked by Project44, export containers waited longer to leave ports versus import containers waiting for pick-up and delivery to customers.
The Chicago-based company believes that this increase in export container dwell time may be attributed to the delay in the vessel’s berthing, which is caused by port congestion.
According to Project44 intelligence, the import volumes into the US West Coast ports have been on a steady decline since August of 2021 and as a result of these declining volumes, the average import container dwell times dropped to 5.2 days and 5 days respectively in Long Beach and Los Angeles.
However, January export container dwell times for Los Angeles were much higher than import ones, while some carriers prioritised empties over full export containers.
Other carriers are "cycling" their discharges with one box off and one box on, but for many of these carriers, prioritisation of imports is most important.
"The time in port for ships has been reduced, and in some cases, there is little time to load the vessel after discharge," noted Stephen Nothdurft, HMM's vice president of the US Midwest, who also claimed that there are intentions to have laden boxes placed on the ship, but "cut and run" and other factors have clouded the overall operations.
HMM had to shift some of their extra loaders to the Port of Tacoma’s Washington United Terminal to avoid cut and runs in Los Angeles.
Empty Container Movement
Many of the outbound containers are empty and are being sent back to Asian ports and manufacturers to reload and ship as full containers back to US ports to satisfy what has become consumers’ insatiable desire to spend on goods.
In December, the Port of Los Angeles announced a US$100 daily penalty on carriers that fail to clear empty containers off the docks as the empties were piling up.
However, in January the port deferred the penalty because it may have "unintended consequences," as some of the empty containers that have been sitting the longest may be buried under others, costing time "that our marine terminals simply don’t have to waste right now," port executive director, Gene Seroka, said in an announcement.
At the end of January 2022, the port of LA was sitting with around 62,253 empty containers to be shipped out. The port shipped out 3.95 million empty containers in 2021 compared to 1.18 full containers, according to Project44 intelligence.
Transhipment rollovers have inched upwards each month since October due to a number of reasons including blank sailings, port congestion and Covid-19 and related labour issues.
But January’s overall rollover percentage of 52%, was a bigger month-to-month increase compared to recent months, 6% higher than in December, likely due to Asian port congestion.
The port of Jebel Ali saw the biggest month-on-month increase of transhipment container rollover rates, from 47% to 65%, while Nansha recorded the highest percentage of container rollovers of 72% in January 2022, possibly due to Omicron outbreaks at the port affecting the workforce.
While the ocean freight market will likely see a slight lull during February, it is expected that demand will pick up once again once manufacturing facilities reopen.
The potential for further port congestion is also likely in the coming month, according to Project44, as US retailers and other shippers replenish and increase safety inventories.
US retail inventories remain low and many shippers did not have enough inventory on hand during the December holiday season to satisfy customer demand.
Moving forward, many retailers plan to increase their inventory levels "just in case", as a short-term strategy to address the backlogs and delayed deliveries that many retailers are experiencing.
Once backlogs are cleared and deliveries are normalised, we anticipate that retailers will drop this strategy and resume leaner inventory levels to avoid too many promotions that typically weigh on earnings.
However, container shortages may be a concern as ports have prioritised the clearing of import containers over the reposition of empty containers.
"Whether or not there will be enough empty containers positioned in the right locations after the Lunar New Year is a big unknown right now," pointed out Brazil. "If they are not, we may see further delays," he concluded.


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By Constantinos Psillides
A UK based fruit and vegetable exporter, Knightsbridge Foods Ltd, may be looking into ways of sidestepping the Russian food embargo by supplying their Russian clients with Turkish Cypriot products, according to a Reuters report.
The company’s owner, who according to Reuters didn’t want to be identified by name before visiting the island, said that he would be coming to Cyprus this week
The Lincolnshire-based company might supply their Russian clients with potatoes bought from Turkish Cypriot farmers who can ship their goods via Turkey and thus bypass the Russian embargo.
“You need quick thinking,” the Knightsbridge’s owner told Reuters.”You need very strong contacts. Things change every single week.”
Direct trade between the EU and breakaway state is forbidden under EU directives but under the 2004 Green Line Regulation, some certified Turkish Cypriot produce is exported through the legal ports of the Republic. The remainder of Turkish Cypriot exports are sent out through Turkey.
The Cyprus Mail contacted the British company for a comment but has not yet received a response.
Asked to comment on the story, Press Officer for the European Commission Representation in Cyprus, Charalambos Metaxas, said that they would be looking into it.
Commenting on the embargo in general, Metaxas characterised it as “unjustifiable since it primarily hurts Russian consumers.”
After the EU imposed further economic sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis, Russia retaliated by announcing that it would stop food imports from the EU, the US Australia, Canada and Norway for a full year.
Reuters pointed out that people and companies who attempt to bypass the embargo would have a hard time, since both EU and Russian officials will be on the lookout for large-scale importers trying to smuggle in embargoed goods via third countries.
The scenario where Turkish Cypriot producers could re-label their products as Turkish and export them via Turkey was raised last week by farmers’ union EKA general secretary Panikos Hambas when commenting on how the Russian embargo would affect Cypriot citrus growers. Farmers say the Russian market is worth some €13m in total and called on the government to have Cyprus exempted from the EU sanctions on Russia.
Yesterday, the European Commission said that fruit and vegetable growers would get financial aid of up to €125 million to help them cope with Russia’s ban on most Western food imports, which has created a glut of produce in peak harvest time.
The farmers’ situation will be assessed further at a meeting of agriculture experts representing member states on Friday and at an extraordinary meeting of EU agriculture ministers on September 5.


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Athletic Greens, which created AG1, a powdered beverage designed to provide daily nutrition, raised $115 million in new funding that boosts its pre-money valuation to $1.2 billion.
The New York-based company got its start in 2010 by founder and CEO Chris Ashenden and is the result of his journey to find out why he continued to feel bad.
“I am a health and wellness-obsessed person, and despite knowing what I thought was a lot about nutrition and wellness, I kept getting sick,” Ashenden told TechCrunch.
In 2008, he ended up in a clinic, spending $35,000 on every kind of blood, stool, saliva or urine test there was to figure out why he continued to get sick. After shelling out all of that money, to his shock, he found out that his body wasn’t absorbing nutrients.
The solution wasn’t easy either — it was a supplement regime of 50 pills. Ashenden tried it for a while, but it got him thinking about how most of what people think about nutrition turns out to be wrong, and that there had to be a better way for him to go through life not taking 50 pills a day.
That’s how AG1, Athletic Greens’ flagship product, got its start. The product combines more than eight nutritional products into one, including multivitamins, probiotics and immune support, and is approaching its fifty-third iteration later this year.
Alpha Wave Global led the growth funding round and was joined by new investor Mark Vadon, returning investors SC.Holdings, David Blitzer’s family office Bolt Ventures and Dr. Peter Attia, as well as a group of product users. As part of the investment, Rick Gerson, chairman and chief investment officer at Alpha Wave Global, and Vadon, founder of Zulily and Blue Nile and former chairman of Chewy, will join the Athletic Greens board of directors.
This new round of funding was a quick follow-on to an investment — the amount was undisclosed — into Athletic Greens in July 2021, which was the company’s first external equity investment since the company was founded. Backers included users of the product, like Hugh Jackman, Cindy Crawford and Steve Aoki.
Prior to that, Ashenden bootstrapped the company to $150 million in revenue run-rate.
“One of the advantages of bootstrapping is you learn to think about new and different ways to do things,” he added. “We continue to innovate around how we do something amazing for our customers, and we also innovate on how we get the message out there in a very cluttered world.”
Indeed, Athletic Greens is going after the global health and wellness market that Ashenden said was approaching $7 trillion. It’s also one of the reasons the company went after its first equity investment. Ashenden explained the company is at an inflection point, and the new funding will enable the company to take on larger capacity for the first time.
Last month, the company brought on former Focus Brands executive, Kat Cole, as president and COO, as it expands to offline channels and into web3 to build community and enhance brand connection.
“It’s about the growth and the opportunity to continue to drive innovation,” he added. “We seek to become a truly global business at a very large scale.”
Last year, Athletic Greens approached 200% in revenue growth and well over 100% in customer growth. As a result, this new financing will be deployed into everything from awareness to establishing new relationships with new partners to supply chain. The company will expand geographically and accelerate much of its R&D that has been going on since Athletic Greens was started a decade ago.
The company operates remote only, and Ashenden expects to triple the company’s 150-person workforce in 2022.
“It’s expanding on our ability to ultimately serve our customer and customers are at a point now, which is that generational shift, that they want to have more ownership of their own health,” Ashenden said. “Customers want a healthier, higher quality of life, and we’re here to serve them. This is about how we begin to empower a much larger customer base on an even more spectacular journey.”


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Building of ‘Point at Six Corners’ targeted for spring; fate of proposed Starbucks on Cicero undecided
by BRIAN NADIG
Construction of the Point at Six Corners shopping center is expected to start this spring, while a proposal to build a Starbucks coffee shop at 4151 N. Cicero Ave. requires design changes if it is going to move forward, according to Alderman John Arena (45th).
Arena gave updates on area redevelopment projects at the Jan. 16 meeting of the Portage Park Neighborhood Association.
Plans call for an ALDI grocery store and a Ross Dress For Less clothing store to be the anchor tenants of the 100,000-square-foot Point development at 4747 W. Irving Park Road. Those stores will make up close to half of the center, which also will front the east side of Milwaukee Avenue.
Clark Street Real Estate, the project’s developer, hopes to have 70 percent of the site leased before the start of constriction in order to obtain more favorable financing terms but is preparing to build this spring even if additional tenants are not signed, Arena said.
The one-story retail center will include a rooftop parking deck, public art and several pedestrian-friendly amenities, Arena said.
The project will be located along a stretch of Milwaukee where on-street parking is being eliminated on one side of the street to allow for bike lanes. At the recommendation of the city Department of Transportation, about 90 parking spaces are being removed on Milwaukee between Addison Street and Irving Park Road.
Eventually the entire stretch of Milwaukee in the 45th Ward will have bike lanes, Arena said. Currently there are bike lanes north of the Kennedy Expressway, and plans call for bike lanes also to be installed on Milwaukee between Irving Park and Lawrence Avenue, but parking there will not be eliminated.
Meanwhile, the Starbucks would include a drive-through facility and would be located on a 20,000-square-foot parcel at Cicero and Berteau avenues which was used as an auxiliary parking lot for the former Family Fruit grocery store, 4118 N. Cicero Ave., where a Dollar Tree is opening.
Arena said that the proposal for the coffee shop resembles a suburban-style development and that he would not support the project unless the it has an urban feel, with the building situated along the front of the property. “Starbucks is very much a take it or leave it business,” he said. “There’s a lot of suburbs. Build it up there.”
Arena said that he hopes Starbucks would agree to changes but that longstanding efforts to maintain the district’s urban character should not be abandoned. “If you do it for one, you have to do it for the next guy,” he said. “It’s really in their (Starbucks’) corner.”
The developer feels that another popular retailer or restaurant could be attracted to the site given that 40,000 vehicles pass by it each day, Arena said. Starbucks also is looking at opening a shop at 5555 W. Irving Park Road in the neighboring 38th Ward.
Arena also reported that Condor Partners is seeking to demolish the vacant storefronts which it owners at 4047-55 N. Milwaukee Ave. even there is no redevelopment plan in place. Condor also owns vacant buildings at 4029-37 N. Milwaukee Ave., but there are no plans to demolish them.
Arena said that he has been frustrated with Condor’s inability to attract tenants to those properties and that Condor is being asked to work with the Six Corners Association to allow pop-up businesses and community events there if the storefronts are torn down.
The goal would be to use the vacant land in a manner which attracts foot traffic to the commercial district, Arena said. One creative option would be to allow businesses to operate out of cargo containers which would be temporarily placed on the site, and outdoor movies also could be shown there, he said.
Overall the Six Corners district is moving in the right direction with an impressive list of businesses opening this year, Arena said. Scheduled openings include Binny’s Beverage Depot and Retro Fitness at 4901 W. Irving Park Road, Culver’s restaurant at 4939-45 W. Irving Park Road and Fischman’s Public House at 4054-60 N. Milwaukee Ave.
The vitality of Six Corners may be best illustrated by the fact that Community Tavern, 4038 N. Milwaukee Ave., opened in 2015 and its owner is already planning to open a second restaurant in the same block, Arena said. “We are on a trajectory that we ought to be on,” he said.


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Once again, the capital had a rendezvous with Fashion Fund’s seasonal brunch event. Over the duration of seven hours, the country’s most recognised fashion experts and socialites shopped the latest trends, courtesy of Egypt’s finest designers, while devouring mouth-watering delicacies.
Organised by the well-known philanthropist and socialite, Heba Serag El-Din, the Winter Equinox Fashion Brunch aimed to newly bridge the gap between fashion and charity. Aside from being an ideal destination for shopaholics, the event also promised 15% of the proceedings to a selected charity mission.
While the exact cause is yet undetermined, last season’s proceedings went to a transplant case. Instead of giving the money to charity organisations, Serag El-Din prefers to oversee the entire process herself. Therefore, she personally identifies and locates the needy cases.
Hosted at Sass restaurant and bar, the event corresponded with the introduction of a new brunch menu. On the other hand, it also shed the light on numerous local talents, while it also welcomed the beginning of a new season.
Selected based on the quality, presentation and branding, the featured designers varied between emerging talents and well-established households such as Bazic; Hype; Boutique 17; Avalanche; Unmatched; Trophy Wives; Georges Sara & Co; Moda Fit; Zag Store; Posh Shades and Camicie. All in all, the event featured 14 designers and brands.
Meanwhile, the event also included a themed photo-booth by Iram Jewellery, the local synonym for glitz and glam, offered a sneak peek of the newest Siran collection as guests tried on the contemporary pieces and even snapped a few glamorous pictures.
In parallel, BTC watches offered a timepiece fortress. The celebrated brand gave guests a discerning segment of international iconic watches. Celebrities such as Mona Zaki stopped their rounds throughout the venue just to admire the new collection.
With that said, the event’s biggest highlight was the reveal and auction of Zaam’s new exclusive pyramid bag. The Polylogue featured the designer’s love for retro aesthetics and keenness on utilising only the finest real leather. More importantly, all the proceedings collected from the auction went to charity.
Concurently, the attendees included a vast number of well-known celebrities and influencers including actresses Mona Zaki and Dalia El-Beheri as well as TV presenters Sherif Nour El-Din, Samar Yousry and Karine Fahmy. Meanwhile, fashion influencers such as Zayneb Azzam, Heba El Dessouky, and Gehad Abdalla were also spotted during the event.


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Looks like Monster Audio company wants a piece of that Apple…..According to a new lawsuit, Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine “betrayed” and “defrauded” millions of dollars from Monster, the company responsible for the designing Beats by Dre headphones. In a lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court Tuesday, Monster CEO Noel Lee said that his company was betrayed by Beats Electronics, the company behind “Beats By Dr. Dre” headphones, when the two companies parted ways in 2012, and that Beats has gone on to try to erase Monster’s contribution to its headphones.
After severing ties with Monster, Beats was purchased by Apple for $3 billion. But as the Beats co-founders made millions, Monster lost millions from its investment in the rise of Beats, the suit charges. Had Lee retained his original 5% interest in Beats, his total stake in the Beats-Apple deal would have been worth over $100 million, the suit alleges.
Wonder how Apple will respond to this claim…..stay tuned


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Cryptocurrencies are becoming more widely discussed – and regulated – in a broad range of countries, including Turkey. A few months ago, the country announced plans to implement a central bank digital currency based on blockchain technology. Huobi, one of the more popular cryptocurrency exchanges, is looking to strengthen its already strong Turkish presence. CryptoPotato recently had the chance to conduct an exclusive interview with the exchange’s CEO Livio Weng.
Cryptocurrencies in Turkey
According to the 2019 Statista Global Consumer Survey, cryptocurrency is most commonly owned in Turkey. Reportedly, 20% of people there have exposure to digital assets.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise, given that the government’s Eleventh Development Plan, which outlines policies geared toward improving the country’s economy through 2023, aims to develop and implement a central bank digital currency based on blockchain technology.
In addition, the document outlines technology and legal infrastructure improvements meant to support blockchain technology for both transport and customs purposes.
It’s no wonder, then, that major cryptocurrency exchanges are turning their sights to the region, and so far Huobi seems to have done the best job.
Tomorrow, October 18th, the exchange will host the Eurasia Blockchain Summit. CryptoPotato got the chance to interview Livio Weng, CEO of Huobi Global, in advance of the event.
According to Weng, the goal is to invite the community to “join in conversations long overdue for the Turkish market. Turkey is leading Europe’s cryptocurrency adoption trend with around 20% of its population owning cryptocurrency, and we have already established a local team heading up the community, customer service, and business development efforts on the ground.”He added:
“The Eurasia Blockchain Summit is an important event for Huobi, just as Turkey has been a key market for us this year. This event stood out as the first major blockchain gathering in a region already thriving with blockchain technology and enthusiasts. Just last month, the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology emphasized the development of blockchain and DLT as priorities for the coming years.”
But It’s Not Just Turkey
Huobi’s presence is expanding not only in Turkey, but in other important markets as well. Argentina, for one.
Huobi has beaten Binance in this market, and its CEO noted that markets of the kind will play an important role in regulating and standardizing the industry in the coming years.
“As a world-leading blockchain company, we have a responsibility to advance blockchain development and cryptocurrency adoption in high-potential markets like Argentina across the world. Regions like Argentina, with wide acceptance and friendliness toward cryptocurrency, will play very important roles in regulating and standardizing the blockchain industry in the years to come.”
He noted that Huobi’s experience in the market allows it to participate in the future of blockchain “by supporting these regions in their critical development periods.”
Interestingly enough, CryptoPotato recently conducted an interview with Gustav Arentoft of MakerDAO, who agreed that blockchain-based technology, especially DeFi, could provide an alternative to fiat currencies in economically troubled markets such as Argentina.


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Cape Town - A gang of robbers is targeting Cape Town’s MTN stores, leading to fear among franchisees.
At least four MTN stores around the city have been robbed at gunpoint in recent weeks.
On April 7, at Zevenwacht Mall in Kraaifontein, four suspects robbed the store of cellphones, tablets and laptops.
There were similar robberies at MTN stores in Steenberg and Observatory in recent weeks. The most recent robbery was at an MTN store in Somerset West on Monday.
A source working for MTN’s Western Cape outlet network confirmed there had been a number of other incidents.
The person, who agreed to talk on condition of anonymity, said store owners were fearful and paranoid.
The source did not have accurate statistics, but estimated there had been three robberies at MTN stores last year compared to around six robberies in and around Cape Town in the first three-and-a-half months of this year.
It was the stock of new cellphones and devices that attracted robbers, the source said.
Queries to the police, in which the Cape Argus asked whether MTN stores were being targeted, went unanswered. Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut referred queries to MTN.
MTN spokeswoman Bridget Bhengu had not responded at the time of going to print.


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Branded cigars on XVI Habano Festival
Four brands attracted attention on XVI Habano Ferstival, they are symbol of highest quality and traditions of tobacco manufacturing on the island: Partagas, HoyodeMonterrey, H.Upmman and Trinidad.
These brands are part of manufacturing of International Corporation Habanos SA that sells cigars in more than 150 countries of the world; it produces 37 brands, more than 300 types, 80 of which in cylinder pack.
The main new of this meeting on which were present more than 1500 people from 80 countries and 300 journalists are brands: LeHoyodeSanJuan, PartagasSerieDNo.6, H.UpmannNo.2 ReservaCosecha 2010 and TrinidadVigia.
This year Festival has celebrated 169 years Partagas, 154 years HoyodeMonterrey, 170 years Í. Upmann, 45 years Trinidad and 20 years International Corporation Habanos SA.


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All the news from the annual Google I/O event, including the latest on Android.
Excellent picture quality, well thought-out features and distinctive design make the Vizio M-Series seem like a much more expensive TV than it really is.
P2i show off their waterproofing nanotechnology at Mobile World Congress.
While I can see the benefits of the Android platform, especially with regard to hardware, it's just not the mobile experience I want.
Once the titan of the bitcoin world, Mt. Gox has fallen as quickly as the currency rose over the past year. Crave's Eric Mack is among those counting his losses, even if they don't add up to much.
The Korean electronics giant will show off its latest devices, including new TVs, home appliances, cameras, and computers. CNET will be there to bring you live news and commentary.
Cut the Rope 2 is available on iOS today for 69p. It's as adorable and entertaining as ever.
The CGLife 2 1080p HD Video Glasses let you record POV movies fast and easy.
There's a new version of Microsoft's Surface tablet. Read all about it right here.
We can deal with the 2014 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited not being as fast as it should, but we can't abide its lack of cabin and safety tech.
This new wireless head-mounted display from Sony is incredibly expensive -- £1,300 when it comes to the UK later this year.


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The state of Florida and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have reached a settlement with the operator of several debt settlement companies after filing a lawsuit last year.
The state and federal governments teamed up to bring charges against Chastity Valdes and the companies she controlled, Consumer Assistance LLC, Consumer Assistance Project Corp. and Palermo Global LLC.
The charges specifically accused the companies of targeting consumers with student loan debt with illegal debt relief offers.
The suit claimed the companies took up-front fees in return for their promised debt relief and credit repair services. They allegedly promised victims they could reduce the amount of their student loans and repair their credit.
Tough loan to get out of
Student loans, of course, are among the most binding of debts and can't even be discharged in bankruptcy.
Among the laws the defendants were accused of violating are the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and the Credit Repair Organizations Act.
The settlement essentially puts the companies out of business. Under the terms of the agreement, they cannot sell debt relief and credit repair services, and can't even make any material claims about any products or services.
They are also prohibited from misrepresenting endorsements, making money from consumers’ personal information, and being careless in the disposal of personal information.
They would also be required to cough up $2.3 million in damages, if they had it. Since they don't, they have to turn over all of their assets to Florida and federal authorities. If it turns out they weren't being truthful about the amount of the assets, the full $2.3 million judgment will be imposed.
Avoiding debt settlement pitches
Debt settlement schemes most commonly target people with large amounts of credit card debt, usually making it sound like it's easy to get credit card companies to agree to accept a fraction of what is owed.
That's hardly the way it works. When a consumer stops making payments, as advised by a debt settlement company, he or she is besieged by debt collectors. In the process, the consumer's credit score craters.
The FTC doesn't say you should never try to settle your debt, but it does say you need to be very, very careful. And you should always avoid doing business with a debt settlement firm that charges an upfront fee, which is illegal.
Remember, you can talk to your credit card company yourself, and will probably have better luck than a debt settlement company will.
Learn more about what the FTC advises on debt settlement here.


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Mercedes-Benz SL Mille Miglia 417 Special at Geneva Motor Show
The Designo night black magno color with the contrasting red accents on the front spoiler lip, the 19-inch front and 20-inch rear alloy wheels, the brake calipers and the rear diffuser is certainly eye-catching.
Of course, Mercedes being…well, Mercedes, the display model's paint is optional – the standard Mille Miglia 417 that was created to celebrated the 60th anniversary of the brand's class win at the 1955 Mille Miglia road race in Italy will come in a more mundane magnetite black metallic paint finish. Two more colors, the matte ;designo cashmere white magno and the shiny designo diamond white bright will also be offered on the options list. There's also a boot lid spoiler – that's standard.
Inside, Mercedes dressed up the seats, door panels and steering wheel in black leather with red accents, along with 417 Mille Miglia insignias embroidered in the headrests, and matte carbon finish for the trim elements.
The "Mille Miglia 417" will be offered in SL 400 and SL 500 guises running a 329hp (333PS) turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 and a 448hp (455PS) twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8 respectively, with sales to start in April this year. Production will be limited to 500 units worldwide.


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Post demonetisation, Central Board of Direct Taxes sees over 300 percent jump in PAN applications
There was a 300 percent jump in the number of applications for PAN (Permanent Account Number) post demonetisation, the CBDT said on Tuesday
New Delhi: There was a 300 percent jump in the number of applications for PAN (Permanent Account Number) post demonetisation, the CBDT said on Tuesday.
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Sushil Chandra said while there were around 2.5 lakh PAN applications per month earlier after the Centre announced to scrap high-value currency notes in November last year, the number rose to 7.5 lakh.
He added that the department was taking a number of measures to curb black money and that steps such as no cash transaction of above Rs 2 lakh was a move in that direction.
"All these measures and demonetisation will act as solutions to curb the use and generation of black money in the country.
"More and more people applying for PAN means they want to keep their businesses and financial transactions clean," the CBDT chief said.
PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number, which is allocated by the Income Tax (IT) department to an individual, firm or entity. About 33 crore PAN cards have been issued in the country till now.
The CBDT is the policy-making body of the I-T department.
Union Budget 2022-23: Every year, the startup founders are all ears as to what the finance minister has to say on Budget day
Budget 2022: Lessen tax burdens, remodel rigid regulatory compliances to enable growth, expansion of textile sector
Union Budget 2022-23: The domestic textile and apparel industry contributes to 2 percent of the GDP of the country
Budget 2022: Why upcoming financial statement is crucial for two wheeler industry in India for leading to a greener future
Union Budget 2022-23: The government should offer income tax benefits to consumers who choose e-Bicycles considering fitness and going green aspects


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2015 POLA and POLB volumes are decent despite challenging start to the year
Both full-year 2015 volumes for the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) were solid.
Logistics in the NewsU.S. West Coast shippers discover intermodal advantages of Reno, Nevada Knight-Swift to add 400 trucks, drivers with Abilene tuck-in acquisition NEXT Trucking and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines partner to service SMEs CBRE research points to expected gains in cold-storage warehouse space AAR reports annual carload and intermodal gains for week ending March 10 More Logistics News
Logistics ResourceTop 20 3PL Warehouses 2017: Growth amid change The steady growth in square footage among the top third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses belies a fundamental transformation as the market adapts to e-commerce pressures.
Despite the myriad challenges stemming from the West Coast port labor dispute between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union earlier this year, full-year 2015 volumes for the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) were solid.
POLA and POLB are the two largest North American ports, and they collectively account for more than 40 percent of U.S. imports. As previously reported, West coast port volumes, especially in first half of the year, had been uneven, as ports had to work through the backlog caused by the nine-month West Coast port labor dispute between the PMA and ILWU, which reached a resolution in the form of a new contract agreement that was reached earlier this year.
2015 POLA volume came in at 8,160,457 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which was down 2.1 percent compared to 2014 but still topped the 8-million TEU mark for the third time in the port’s history. Imports in 2015, which are primarily comprised of consumer goods, were down 2.6 percent at 4,159,461.45 (TEU), and exports at 1,656,677 TEU were down 14.3 percent. Empties at 120,168.05 were down 20 percent.
“I’m pleased that the Port of Los Angeles has surpassed the 8-million TEU threshold for the fifth time in our history,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Despite the soft start to the year, our terminals, labor force and supply chain stakeholders rebounded strongly. With bigger ships and the ongoing work to increase supply chain efficiencies, we look forward to building on this momentum in 2016.”
For the month of December, POLA imports were down 4.9 percent annually at 626,276 TEU, and exports dropped 13.7 percent to 131,239 TEU. Port officials said December volumes were down because a cargo terminal system was offline for multiple weeks in December so new software could be installed.
POLA Director of Media Relations Phillip Sanfield said that POLA is forecasting growth in the low single digits for 2016, adding that the port has started the year strong with the two largest ships to call North America: The Maersk Edmonton and the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin. Both ships were handled successfully by APM Terminals at Berth 400.
At POLB, full-year 2015 volumes rose 5.4 percent annually, coming in at 7,192,066 TEU. Imports were up 3.1 percent at 3,625,263, and exports fell 4.9 percent to 1,525,560 TEU. Empties saw a 20.2 percent gain to 2,041,243 TEU. Port officials said that these annual numbers reflected how the strong U.S. dollar continues to favor imports and discourage exports, and, in turn, sees more empties being sent overseas to be refilled with goods.
July and August stood out in 2015, with POLB hitting record cargo volumes in the third quarter, which it said was its highest-volume quarter ever at more than 2 million TEU.
“We’re gratified to see the business growth — we worked diligently over these past 12 months to recover from a very challenging start to the year, resulting in record volume and productivity gains and the strong and steady return of diverted cargo,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Jon Slangerup. “We credit terminal operators, labor, shipping lines, cargo owners and our local community with pulling together to turn things around.”
December POLA volumes were up 5.1 percent annually at 591,448 TEU. Imports at 296,002 TEU and exports at 126,118 TEU were up 7 percent and down 4.1 percent, respectively, with empties up 9.5 percent at 174,328 TEU.
In a research note, Todd Fowler, analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, wrote that these numbers reflect how import growth moderated in late 2015 following strength earlier in the year and elevated inventories.
“Looking ahead, January comparisons are particularly easy reflecting prior-year port congestion and labor disruptions, as well as timing of the Lunar New Year,” he wrote. “Excluding these items, we expect elevated inventories and more cautious economic outlooks to be headwinds for import activity in the near term, partially offset by a stronger U.S. dollar and potential consumer or housing tailwinds.”
And Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett wrote in the most recent edition of the Port Tracker report his firm produces with the National Retail Federation that inventory-to-sales ratios remain a concern going forward, adding that enough time has passed since the disruption on the West Coast that it can no longer be looked to for justifying high inventories.
And he added that recent manufacturing data has been sluggish, with the Institute of Supply Management’s reporting contraction in November and December, holiday retail sales numbers expected to come in lower than anticipated, and GDP remaining under 3 percent.
About the AuthorJeff Berman, Group News Editor Jeff Berman is Group News Editor for Logistics Management, Modern Materials Handling, and Supply Chain Management Review. Jeff works and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he covers all aspects of the supply chain, logistics, freight transportation, and materials handling sectors on a daily basis. Contact Jeff Berman
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I have read several articles including one from The Hindu News Update Service concerning Dell being in the process of selling laptop computers for $238. The article also states that Dell is looking into the China market and will be introducing a similar computer in the same price range. The article also states:
“The new products will have longer battery life, increased connectivity and performance,” according to Dell India General Manager (Sales), Sameer Garde, said on the sidelines of company’s product launch.
When I first read this article and several others covering Dell’s expansion to other countries, I had a few thoughts that popped into my head.
First thought was, I would venture a guess the new systems would not be equipped with Vista. So what kind of a OS would Dell be including on these cheap models?
Second thought was why aren’t these inexpensive computers being offered in the US market? I am sure that Dell will still be making a profit even selling these outside of the US. So why not here as well? For $238 I’d take one without a OS. 🙂
Third thought I’m leaving for you? What is your take on this? Should the US get these cheapies as well?
Full article here.
[tags]dell, computers, india, laptops, [/tags]


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Mumbai: Investors in Hindalco Industries Ltd, India’s largest non-ferrous metals producer, subscribed to only 17% of its Rs5,000 crore rights offer, forcing the company’s owners and bankers to buy the remaining stock.
Founders Aditya Birla Group and associated companies bought 39% of the offer, in line with its shareholding.
The group will buy a further 10%, and sale arrangers acquired 34% because of the poor response, according to a filing.
The financial crisis has rocked stock markets and forced firms to abandon plans for equity and debt sales as investors hang on to cash. The poor response to Hindalco’s offer may undermine the success of Rs6,000 crore rights offers announced by Tata Motors Ltd, India’s biggest truck maker, and Suzlon Energy Ltd, a wind turbine maker, an analyst said.
“With most of (the) shares trading at below offer prices, those who want to buy can get it directly from the open market,” said Jayesh Shroff, fund manager at SBI Asset Management Co. Ltd in Mumbai. “People are averse to committing money, so these offers will get a poor response.”
Tata Motors plans to raise Rs4,200 crore by selling shares to pay for the acquisition of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford Motor Co.
Suzlon is seeking Rs1,800 crore to fund the purchase of an additional stake in Germany’s REpower Systems AG. Tata Motors’ offer closes on 20 October, while Suzlon hasn’t set a date.
Hindalco shareholders were offered three shares for every seven held at Rs96. The stock slumped as much as 12.15% to Rs69.75 in Mumbai trading on Thursday, the lowest in four and a half years.
The company has lost 64% of its value this year, compared with the 50% decline in India’s benchmark stock index, on concerns that the economic crisis will damp demand for metals.
ABN Amro Asia Equities (India) Ltd, Citigroup Global Markets India Pvt. Ltd, Deutsche Equities India Pvt. Ltd, DSP Merrill Lynch Ltd and State Bank of India will purchase 178.94 million shares, worth Rs1,720 crore, Hindalco said.
Hindalco said on 20 June it will use the money from the rights to repay part of the $3.03 billion (Rs14,817 crore today) loan taken out to fund its purchases of Novelis Inc.
The takeover in February 2007 provided the Mumbai-based company sheet mills used by car makers and access to US customers, including Coca-Cola Co.
Hindalco is trading at an estimated price-earnings multiple of 4.4, compared with more than 16-year average of 13.4.


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TikTok hits one billion monthly users milestone
TikTok, a leading destination for short-form mobile video, has marked one billion monthly active users milestone since its launch in 2017.
The video sharing App achieved this new feat despite some political roadblocks in some countries including the US and India.
“At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. Today, we’re celebrating that mission and our global TikTok community. More than 1 billion people around the world now come to TikTok every month to be entertained as they learn, laugh, or discover something new,” a statement from TikTok’s website says.
We’re honoured to be a home for our immensely diverse community of families, small businesses, and creators who transform into our favorite stars.
“TikTok has become a beloved part of life for people around the world because of the creativity and authenticity of our creators. Our global community is remarkable in its ability to reach millions of people, across generations. From music, food, beauty and fashion to art, causes, and everything in between, culture truly starts on TikTok.
Whether you’re in Africa, São Paolo, Stockholm, or Seattle, we celebrate YOU – the creators who inspire us, the artists who launch chart-breaking albums, the brands who help us discover and connect with products we love, the communities who lift us up, and all the people who keep us laughing and dancing.”
TikTok, being a Chinese company, was heavily scrutinized by the US Government for its data-collecting practices and accusations of spying on American citizens. It also faced a US ban during the Trump administration unless it struck a deal with an American company. Reports surfaced months later that talks of a deal all fell through after Biden took office.


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Weekly Economic Briefings - Us Weekly Economic Briefing
Data released this week confirmed the economy experienced a strong initial recovery phase in May, with consumer spending bursting back to life and factory activity resuming. But real-time data suggest the economy has already entered the slower second phase of the recovery. With Covid-19 infections surging nationwide, a swift reversal of momentum is a key risk. After improving for 10 weeks in a row, our Recovery Tracker fell 0.4ppts to 72.9% in the week ended June 12 due to renewed financial market stress and rising Covid-19 infections. And, the preliminary data for the week ended June 19 points to moderate momentum restrained by a slower pace of employment and cautious demand. Looking ahead, the fate of the recovery mostly depends on whether the recent flare-up in infections is contained. If the health situation continues to deteriorate, confidence will follow suit. This will lead to reduced mobility, less employment, and eventually slower demand with significant financial market risks. Failure to provide further fiscal stimulus is another key downside risk.
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.Download eBook


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Behind the Doomsday title and results from a study conducted by the National Retail Federation in US, and a whole bunch of other people/companies, is the fact that more and more online shoppers are bypassing websites for Facebook and Twitter, at least in the retail space.
The study, which was based on more than 1,700 online shoppers, revealed some interesting findings re: the use of online shopping, social media, consumers and retailers:
42% of online shoppers “occasionally” follow a store via social media; not quite sure what we can glean from words like “occasionally” but… Of the 42% who do in fact follow a retailer:
- 58% do so to find deals
- 49% to stay up to date
- 39% are in it for the contests & events
Overall, nearly 60% of Facebook users have clicked on a link which took them to a retailer’s website compared to…
Nearly 70% of Twitter users who have done so!
While these numbers are interesting and all that, what the study also revealed is – 35% of Facebook users and 32% Twitter users said they would forgo a company website and make a purchase via these social media channels instead Did you he
ar that? That was the sound of website developers all over the land screaming NOOOO!!!!!!
You still need a website!!!
What do you think?
Do you think Facebook and Twitter have the potential to replace websites, at least to some degree?
Have you ever made a purchase via Facebook or Twitter and bypassed a website completely?
If so, did you do it because it was easier?
Sources: Original Post Facebook And Twitter Will Soon Replace All Websites & Media Post


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China’s Commerce Ministry says it will unveil a blacklist of “unreliable” foreign firms and individuals, amid a trade war initiated by the United States.
On May 16, the US Commerce Department added Chinese telecom giant Huawei to a list of entities with which US companies cannot engage in trade unless they get a license from authorities, although a 90-day reprieve was later issued.
Gao Feng, a spokesman for China’s Commerce Ministry, announced on Friday that Beijing would be releasing its own list of “unreliable entities.”
It will include “foreign enterprises, organizations, or individuals that do not comply with market rules, deviate from a contract’s spirit, or impose blockades or stop supplies to Chinese enterprises for non-commercial purposes, and seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” the Chinese official explained.
He said detailed measures to be taken against the companies placed on the list would be released soon.
US President Donald Trump initiated what is effectively a trade war with China last year, when he first imposed unusually heavy tariffs on imports from the country. Since then, the two sides have exchanged tariffs on more than 360 billion dollars in two-way trade.
The Huawei ban prompted American Internet giant Google and its Android mobile operating system to suspend business with the Chinese tech giant.
Beijing and Washington have held talks to settle the issue, but to no avail so far. Their latest round of trade negotiations ended earlier this month without conclusion.
Earlier, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui accused Washington of practicing “naked economic terrorism” by engaging in the trade war on China.
‘Trump is lying’
Trump said on Thursday that the US tariffs had had a “devastating effect” on the Chinese economy.
Beijing denied Trump’s claim and dismissed it as a “lie.”
“The US side has said such lies not just once or twice. Every time China exposes them in time, but the US seems to be very persistent, even obsessed, and keeps repeating these lies,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing on Thursday.
China opposes the US tariff hikes, saying they are harmful not only to China and the US, but to the whole world. Washington, for its part, says a primary goal of the aggressive tariff strategy is to decrease the trade imbalance with China, which totaled 379 billion dollars in 2018.
Bloomberg reported on Thursday that China would be halting purchases of soybeans from the US.